Agency Among Agents: Designing with Hypertextual Friction in the Algorithmic Web
Sophia Liu, Shm Garanganao Almeda · 2025
Today's algorithm-driven interfaces, from recommendation feeds to GenAI tools, often prioritize engagement and efficiency at the expense of user agency.As systems take on more decision-making, users have less control over what they see and how meaning or relationships between content are constructed.This paper introduces "Hypertextual Friction, " a conceptual design stance that repositions classical hypertext principles-friction, traceability, and structureas actionable values for reclaiming agency in algorithmically mediated environments.Through a comparative analysis of real-world interfaces-Wikipedia vs. Instagram Explore, and Are.na vs. GenAI image tools-we examine how different systems structure user experience, navigation, and authorship.We show that hypertext systems emphasize provenance, associative thinking, and user-driven meaning-making, while algorithmic systems tend to obscure process and flatten participation.We contribute: (1) a comparative analysis of how interface structures shape agency in user-driven versus agent-driven systems, and (2) a conceptual stance that offers hypertextual values as design commitments for reclaiming agency in an increasingly algorithmic web.